eLearning Cyclops

OCTOBER 31, 2010

My organization is just finishing up its compliance period and I have gotten my share of calls and e-mails from staff regarding their courses. For As long as I have been in e- learning, the majority of the calls I've received from users have fallen into one of the following issues: A pop-up blocker on the user's computer is enabled. The user does not have Adobe Flash.

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eLearning Cyclops

OCTOBER 25, 2010

As my readers may remember from my past posts, I believe it will be quite a while before HTML5 becomes a practical means of delivering e-learning or a viable threat to Flash. However, Adobe has begun prototyping a tool for creating animation in HTML5. Still a long way to go, but a good start. The video preview from Adobe TV is below. [link].

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eLearning Cyclops

OCTOBER 24, 2010

Project Rome is the latest coming out of Adobe Max. Project Rome is available for download as a free preview. There is also a Project Rome for Education. Project Rome can be used to produce a variety things including publications, presentations, websites and even animation. The outputs include PDF, SWF, JPG, PNG, SVG, FXG or web files. I downloaded the Air application, but it can also be used as a web-based service.

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eLearning Cyclops

OCTOBER 11, 2010

If you are looking for music for your e-learning or educational games, I have a resource for you - mOsno. The right music can add great depth and emotion to e-learning and especially games. Just as any good instructional designer uses or creates graphics that support the learning, use of music and audio should do the same. However, it is not always easy to find the right music, or musician to create music, that will support the learning and design.

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eLearning Cyclops

OCTOBER 9, 2010

My next big venture is training for an upgrade to Windows 7 and Office 2010. I have good grasp of my audience, how they use their software, and access to the new OS and Office 2010. This provides me with a solid start to identifying the training needs. I have also casually talked to a few people who use Windows 7 and Office 2010 and they shared valuable information about their transition and what they found easy and what was challenging.

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eLearning Cyclops

SEPTEMBER 29, 2010

Adobe now has a preview of its Adobe Museum of Digital Media. This is a virtual museum dedicated to digital media. As Adobe describes it, The Adobe Museum of Digital Media (AMDM) is a unique virtual space designed to showcase and preserve groundbreaking digital work and to present expert commentary on how digital media influences culture and society. ( see full description ) It will be online and always open.

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eLearning Cyclops

SEPTEMBER 20, 2010

Even I will admit the iPad is an exciting device, but because it is missing Adobe Flash it is not something in which I am willing to spend the money. As you can see in the video below, we will be able get a tablet with Flash, which is enticing to me. Who knows, maybe with enough tablets coming to market with Flash on them Apple will rethink adding Flash to the iPad.

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eLearning Cyclops

SEPTEMBER 19, 2010

It's amazing how many resources I have been discovering at Johns Hopkins. I work within one small part of Johns Hopkins Medicine and have been discovering the many resources across the larger organization available to both staff and the public. One I recently discovered is the Johns Hopkins Medicine YouTube channel , which I would like to share with my readers.

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eLearning Cyclops

SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

September's Big Question over at the Learning Circuits Blog is regarding use of voice-over in e-learning. The question addresses numerous topics regarding the use of audio. So, I thought I would contribute my two cents. First off, most of the courses I have created do not have narration. Some courses just don't need audio to be effective and it is better to spend the time (often limited time) and effort on improving the course design than adding audio.

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eLearning Cyclops

AUGUST 29, 2010

Last Thursday, #lrnchat's topic was "book talk" and question five was great fun. The question posed was "What are book titles you hope never to see?" Here is a list of just some of the responses. They are not just very amusing, they are also a great reflection on so much of what we should avoid, or at least rethink, in our industry. Dave_Ferguson : “I Can Haz Smarts: Lolcats Guyd to Learnin Stylz” JaneBozarth : "More Levels for Evaluation by Autopsy" sillym0nkey : Rapid Oganizational Change kel

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Instructional Design Google Wave Compliance Training PPT 100

eLearning Cyclops

AUGUST 8, 2010

Here is a list I compiled of things I think should NOT be done when designing e-learning courses. I believe the following are counter to adult learning theory, sound e-learning design and they just down-right irk me. They are not in any particular order. Don't: Turn off navigation until a screen's audio is done. Not only do most people read quicker than narration and may choose to move on, it is just plain wrong to deny learners user control.

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Compliance Training PowerPoint Audio Write Blog 100

eLearning Cyclops

JULY 18, 2010

There is a new addition to the Free Cloud Apps page , it's ProProfs Quiz Maker. Quiz Maker is a quick and easy way to build a quiz that is hosted on the cloud. No software needed, it is completely web-based. You can easily post a link to your quiz from a blog or web page. It also has the functionality to tweet a link or add to Facebook or MySpace.

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Quiz Authoring Tools MySpace LMS 100

eLearning Cyclops

JULY 12, 2010

Google is releasing App Inventor for Android. You can find it listed at Google Labs and can learn more about it at [link]. There is obvious potential for m-learning, including quizzes , educational games, mini-courses, informal learning. really the sky is the limit. If development is as easy as they claim, then we can focus even more on design and are not as limited by the complexity of app development.

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eLearning Cyclops

JULY 11, 2010

Warning, this is a bit of a rant written mostly for my own need in sorting through how I really feel about learning management systems (LMSs). If you work with the average LMS you probably understand. I have worked numerous different LMSs, some good and some not so good. I don't think I have used any considered "user-friendly" on either the admin or the user end.

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LMS Compliance Training Classroom Report 100

eLearning Cyclops

JULY 4, 2010

In the spirit of our birthday here in the colonies, I thought I would compile some of the U.S. history gems from my Free e-Learning page : An Overview of American History (video) - Digital History Arirang*An Interactive Classroom on the Korean American Experience Flash Flood: Hurricane Katrina's Inundation of New Orleans - The Times-Picayune Native Words, Native Warriors (Codetalkers) - NMAI Pennsylvania Civil War Trails (Google Earth) The First Thanksgiving - Plimoth.org The Supreme Court - CSP

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eLearning Cyclops

JUNE 26, 2010

There has been plenty of buzz about HTML5 and it being a "Flash killer." I think HTML5 has great potential and will be a welcomed improvement to the web, but it is still in its infancy and does not show any signs of being able to compete with Flash anytime time soon. I think some of the confusion comes from the fact that it currently has the ability of embedding video and audio, which makes it a viable alternative regarding those commonly used features.

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eLearning Cyclops

JUNE 14, 2010

During #LrnChat it was mentioned that Captivate 5 will include integration with Twitter. I think this is good news and a good start for incorporating social media in asynchronous courses. Yes, I do think using social media tools directly for informal learning is a better option in many, if not most situations, but if a "blended" solution is needed then incorporating Twitter into Captivate is now an option.

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Twitter Captivate Metrics LMS 100

eLearning Cyclops

JUNE 12, 2010

Yesterday I attended a SCORM webinar provided by Advance Distributed Learning (ADL). If you do not know the ADL, they are a part of the U.S. Department of Defense and are the producers of SCORM. At the conclusion of the webinar they gave a tour of some of the available resources on their site. These include SCORM documentation , past webinar slides , and content examples , including the files from a Flash example. which you will find listed as "Plug-In Technologies Content Example.

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SCORM Resources ADL Flash 100

eLearning Cyclops

JUNE 3, 2010

June's Big Question over at the Learning Circuits blog is regarding tools one should ".learn today in order to be a valuable eLearning professional in 2015." So you know my perspective, since my start in e-learning I have always been both a designer and developer. Although my degree is in instructional design I have worked in corporate training departments where I am responsible for both.

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Big Question Flash to HTML5 Conversion DHTML Dreamweaver 100

eLearning Cyclops

MAY 21, 2010

I have talked in the past about Adobe Flash coming to TV and the potential impact on e-Learning ( Adobe Flash on TV and Adobe Flash on TV - Update ). Now Google has announced Google TV and it WILL have Flash (Flash Player 10.1). They even have a page regarding designing websites for TV that provides some guidance on designing Flash for Google TV. The SDK is expected in several months and Google TV devices will go on sale this fall according to their FAQs.

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eLearning Cyclops

MAY 16, 2010

When I peruse my blog stats it always amazes me that my storyboarding posts are some of the most visited and my storyboard template has been downloaded far more than expected. I guess the practical things are the most valuable. Since there is such interest in storyboarding I thought I would follow-up and offer a few more practical tips on creating and using storyboards.

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Storyboard Tips Templates Write Blog 100

eLearning Cyclops

MAY 5, 2010

Learning Circuits' Big Question for May is "So what can, should, or will, we offer the digital generation by 2015?" Five years is not very far into future, but in terms of technology things can change immensely in that amount of time. Just think of how learning technology has changed in the past five years. Off the top of my head here are a few things I think we will be offering in 2015.

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Big Question Flash to HTML5 Conversion Blended Learning Outstart 100

eLearning Cyclops

APRIL 25, 2010

When creating e-learning courses I ask stakeholders to sign-off on the final product. This is only after the review process is complete. Very often the stakeholders are also the subject matter experts for the course. Either way, I find that a sign-off provides confidence for me and my team that the course meets the approval and needs of the stakeholder, the content is accurate, and that we have a commitment from the stakeholders/SMEs for future reviews.

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Course LMS Policies Learning Management System 100

eLearning Cyclops

APRIL 21, 2010

After six years in banking, I have recently returned to the healthcare industry. Thankfully, e-learning is prevalent in healthcare and very receptive to the use of games. Games are a fantastic way to challenge learners and keep them engaged and interacting with the content at hand. Like many in e-learning, I am responsible for both design and development along with playing the role of graphic artist too.

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Games ActionScript Flash Tutorial 100

eLearning Cyclops

APRIL 19, 2010

Here is a video from AdobeTV of Greg Rewis' run through of some of the new features and improvements in Flash Professional CS5. These include text layout framework, code snippets, ActionScript editor, Spring for bones, video improvements, new deco brushes, and Flash Builder & mobile content. [link].

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eLearning Cyclops

APRIL 10, 2010

I was adding another course on the free e-learning page and what really jumped out at me is there are an awful lot of examples from the BBC. They have been producing a lot of great stuff, so I thought I would share all the BBC examples I have found. I am sure there are even more to be found on the BBC site. e-Learning I have found at the BBC Archaeology Games - BBC Caveman Challenge - BBC Computer Tutor - BBC WebWise - BBC Ancient History - BBC British History - BBC British History Timeline - B

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eLearning Cyclops

APRIL 5, 2010

[link] The devices shown have Adobe Flash, but the iPad does not. So much e-learning is made in Flash, or published as SWF files, and iPad users will not have access to it. What a shame.

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eLearning Cyclops

APRIL 2, 2010

April's Big Question from Learning Circuits is "How to Keep up?" This is in reference the immense and rapidly expanding technology tools. It is tough to stay on top of all the emerging tools. However, being involved in an e-learning community is a big help. For me it is a blog community and following many experts on Twitter. Not only am I often made aware of new tools, but also get opinions, tips, and examples of their use.

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eLearning Cyclops

MARCH 28, 2010

Over the years in corporate training departments I have been a bit spoiled when it comes to having an audience with a high speed connection. With very few exceptions, staff taking my e-learning courses have accessed them via company computers with high speed connections. Recently, I have begun making Captivate demonstrations for external customers. For these demos I do not have the security of knowing they will be accessed with a high speed connection.

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eLearning Cyclops

MARCH 21, 2010

Baltimore has put in a bid for Google Fiber , which is Google's experiment to select one or more trial locations for a ultra high speed fiber network. Here is brief description from Google of what they are planning to build: Google is planning to build and test ultra-high speed broadband networks in one or more trial locations across the country. We'll deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today over 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home con

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eLearning Cyclops

MARCH 13, 2010

Google Labs recently released their Public Data Explorer. You can create charts and visualizations with public data sets. I created the examples below from data provided by the World Bank. The amount of data provided by the World Bank is impressive. [googleapps domain="www" dir="publicdata/explore/embed" query="ds=d5bncppjof8f9_&ctype=l&met_y=it_net_user_p2&scale_y=lin&ind_y=false&rdim=country&idim=country:USA:GBR:JPN:IND:KOR:BRA&tdim=true&tstart=631152000000&

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eLearning Cyclops

MARCH 10, 2010

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="CellScope"] [/caption] Here are a couple of great and innovative uses of mobile devices I stumbled upon on SmartPlanet,com. Not only do these innovations increase the ability to provide better healthcare in the developing world, but also has great potential in mobile learning (m-learning). [link] You can read more about the CellScope at UC Berkeley News.

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eLearning Cyclops

MARCH 7, 2010

As a Adobe Flash addict, I am always on the lookout for tutorials and new tips and tricks that can make Flash development easier. Every now and then I peruse Screenr.com for Flash tutorials. Because screencasts on Screenr have a five minute limit, they are usually very succinct, which is what I like. They are also easy to search if you do a site search ( flash site:screenr.com ).

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Tutorial Flash Screencast iPad 100

eLearning Cyclops

MARCH 2, 2010

This month's Big Question is "how do we leverage open content in workplace learning?" To learn more about about some of opportunities available in open content, I visited the sites listed on the Big Question post. These were OER Commons and Open Courseware Consortium. For the first time, I perused these sites. A bit embarrassed that I have not visited these sites before, but it is never too late to find new learning opportunities.

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eLearning Cyclops

FEBRUARY 27, 2010

With the tragic news of the recent earthquakes, first Haiti and now Chile, I thought I would share some of the e-learning resources regarding earthquakes and tsunamis. Prior to that, it is important to note the valiant relief efforts so many are doing and the support they need. There are many relief groups in need of donations and it can be done easily online or via text.

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eLearning Cyclops

FEBRUARY 24, 2010

As we all know, that tablet everyone has been talking about recently does not have Flash. Oh well, I am over it. However, Dell will be releasing a multi-touch tablet of their own, the Mini 5 , and it WILL have Flash. Take a look of the preview below from Adobe TV. [link] Yes, I know what you are thinking. A 5 inch screen and they are calling it a tablet?

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eLearning Cyclops

FEBRUARY 8, 2010

Last year "We Choose the Moon" was launched in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch. This is a fantastic example of using video, audio, photos, and animation all in one course. Here is the link, www.wechoosethemoon.org. It is absolutely worth the visit. Also, here is a video from AdobeTV that provides some background on the development of "We Choose the Moon.

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